The Winning Side

by C. M. Doporto

  “Oh my God! I see the ocean!” I squealed as I got a glimpse of the blue water behind a few houses. Rolling down the window, I allowed the warm ocean breeze to sweep through the truck. The sun bounced off the water, giving it a golden glow. It was truly amazing and beautiful. I couldn’t wait to sink my toes into the sand and allow the waves to wash over my feet.

  I could definitely get used to this.

  “That’s actually the bay. Once we cross the bridge, you’ll get a nice view of the ocean,” Josh said, letting out a long, heavy breath.

  “Lexi, you want to sit up front?” Shelby asked as she unfastened her seat belt.

  I nodded enthusiastically, like a little kid dying to see something for the first time. “Yes, please.”

  Josh put the truck in park since we were barley moving. “Go head and drive, Raven. Shel and I will get in the back.”

  “Alright, bro.”

  We switched places and a few cars honked at us as we stalled everyone from moving two car spaces forward. I shook my head. It wasn’t like the thirty seconds they lost would get them there any faster. Sitting in front, I had a great view, not only of the traffic, but of the water that followed the highway for miles.

  “Are you excited?” Raven took my hand in his.

  “Yeah.” I brushed my finger across the top of his hand. “Is it that obvious?”

  “You’ve been smiling since you found out we were going.” Raven inched the truck forward.

  “That’s because I’m so happy. Happy we’re engaged and happy we’re here.” My cheeks ached from the constant smiling, but I didn’t care. I’d never been so happy in my entire life. I glanced at my hand, unable to stop looking at my ring. Part of me wondered how he could afford to buy me a diamond the size of Texas, but I’d wait to ask him at the right time.

  “Are you really that happy?” He held my gaze for a few seconds, searching the depths of my eyes. Not only was I willing to tell him exactly how I felt, I’d show him, repeatedly.

  “Yes, I really am.” I held my eyes wide open so he could see the sincerity in my reply. Then I squeezed my eyes tightly together, feeling the rise of butterflies that continued to carry my heart away, giving it to Raven. “And I can’t wait to hit the beach with you.”

  “We’re going to have a great time.” He raised my hand and kissed my ring finger. “Just like I promised you.”

  It just didn’t seem real — I was going to be Mrs. Raven Davenport. When? I had no idea. Once I graduated and Raven finished school we could figure it all out, but for now, I wanted to enjoy every minute with him. I pressed my lips together, speechless. Not only had he totally surprised me by asking me to marry him, but he was taking me to the beach. I had the best of both worlds and by the look on Raven’s face, he felt the same way.

  “We probably won’t hit the island for another hour. If you want, we’ll go straight to the house so you can see the ocean before the sun sets. Then we can grab a bite to eat and head to the store afterwards,” Josh said, reclining in the back seat as he covered his face with his ball cap.

  “Works for me.” I winked at Raven and he smiled. Being with him made everything ten times better.

  “That’s fine,” Raven told Josh.

  Finally, after thirty minutes, we made it to Port Isabel, the town on the other side of the island. It had your typical chain restaurants and stores, with Wal-Mart being the hot spot for not only islanders, but also visitors. Straight ahead, I spied the longest and tallest bridge.

  “Are we going over that?” I turned around and asked Josh.

  “Yeah,” he muttered underneath his cap. “That’s the only way to get to the island, unless you want us to catch a ferry.”

  “No. It’s fine,” I giggle, feeling like a total idiot. “I’ve never been on a bridge that crossed that much water.”

  “We’ll be fine.” Raven patted my leg.

  The light turned green and we entered the massive bridge. The sight was unbelievable. My stomach tightened and my heart pumped faster, but I wasn’t scared, just overly excited. I had finally made it to the beach after twenty years and three-hundred and sixty-two days.

  Better late than never.

  The ocean rocked gently, creating tiny waves as we crossed it. I leaned out the window and yelled, “Woohoo!” Everyone laughed and Josh soon joined in, yelling at the top of his lungs. I couldn’t believe what I’d been missing all these years. I knew now that I was going to be a beach girl — snow was a thing of the past.

  Palm trees swaying in the spring breeze and the smell of the salty air mixed with sweet blossoms told me we were definitely on an island. As the sun lowered, the island woke in a buzz of college students as they cruised up and down the strip. Bright neon lights in a variety of colors lit up the t-shirt and souvenir shops. The island had a small town feel, nothing like a commercialized resort, and it was evident the locals wanted to keep it that way.

  “Make a right, just before the Holiday Inn,” Josh instructed as we approached the south end of the island.

  “Yeah, I remember,” Raven said.

  “You’ve been here before?”

  “Yeah. The past two years.”

  A tiny piece of the excitement dwindled away, but I wasn’t going to let that ruin my time with Raven. I had no control over what Raven did in the past. And it was just that — in the past.

  We entered a private drive and Raven stopped at the gate. “What’s the code?”

  “Thirty-five fourteen,” Josh said, checking his phone. We crossed the pebbled drive and entered into the gated community.

  We turned onto the street and pulled up to the Marshall’s house. It was no condo; it was a freakin’ mansion, standing three stories tall and overlooking the ocean. Not the bay, but the blue Gulf Coast. Nestled in a small community with million dollar homes surrounding it, it was one of the largest structures. And we were staying there for the entire week! It was like we were on our own sweet escape. I was glad I had decided to come. This was going to be fun.

  Raven pulled into the three-car garage and I was surprised to see a Jeep already parked. I thought we were the only ones staying at the house. “Whose car is that?”

  “It’s an extra car we keep here,” Josh said as Raven turned off the ignition. We piled out of the car and stretched for a second. “If we fly down, we have it here to get around the island.”

  Must be nice.

  “Oh, yeah, that makes sense.” I didn’t know what else to say. Raven had introduced me to Josh’s parents at Pro Day and I was surprised to see how down to earth they were. I never pegged them for being this rich.

  Raven tossed Josh the keys and he opened the door. We entered the house through the kitchen and I did a double take. It was a chef’s dream. White cabinets and a large island spanned across the massive kitchen. Black granite and stainless steel appliances with dark mahogany, wood floors gave it a sleek modern flair. Josh flipped on the lights and a rainbow of colors danced across the room. Diamond drop crystals hanging from strings over the island lit up the kitchen like a fine dining establishment.

  “What the hell?” Josh walked into the living area. “Dad let mom do all this?”

  “Man, she went all out this time.” Shelby slipped off her flip-flops and dug her feet into the shaggy, light grey carpet. “We’re going to have a hard time keeping this place clean.”

  “No shit.” He shook his head. “Why the hell would she get wood floors? If there’s a hurricane, this wood is gone.”

  “It’s not wood,” Shelby knelt and touched it with her hand, “it’s ceramic.”

  Raven tapped his foot on the floor. “Never seen tile floor that looks like wood.”

  “Shit,” Josh huffed. “If they make it, my mom knows about it. Trust me.”

  “Sounds like my mom,” I laughed.

  My mom would die for a place like this.

  The house looked like it belonged in Architectural Digest, the magazine my mom fantasized over, clipping pictures and floor plans for
my dad to see. She wanted him to build her a huge, three-story house — as if the thirty-five hundred square foot house wasn’t large enough for her. But since her goal was to keep up with the Norris’, she had to have everything bigger and better. Poor dad.

  “My mom needs to meet your mom.”

  No, I don’t think so.

  I didn’t respond, just looked around as Josh continued turning on lights throughout the house. White leather couches and large ottomans gave the untouchable room a slight feeling of hominess. The Marshall’s place was a true vacation getaway. I just wasn’t sure if it belonged by the ocean, maybe Las Vegas or New York. You almost didn’t want to touch anything, for fear of leaving smudge prints. If something was ruined or broken, I definitely didn’t want to be the guilty party.

  Just past the living area, near the front entrance, a shiny, black, baby grand piano caught my eye. “Oh wow. A piano.” I headed straight for it. I hadn’t played since Christmas and even though the memory had been painful, things had changed. I was with Raven. I ran my fingers across the sleek curves of the instrument. It called to me. Notes sounded in my head as I hit a few keys.

  “Sit down and play.” Raven rubbed his hands up and down my back.

  “I’ll play later.” I relaxed against his chest. “As long as you’ll sing with me.”

  “Have you heard this guy sing?” Josh placed a hand on Raven’s shoulder.

  “Yeah, and he’s not bad.”

  Raven shook his head. “I’m not that good.”

  “Whatever.” Josh leaned against the piano. “So you play?”

  “Does she play?” Raven huffed. “She plays like John Legend.”

  “What?” I gasped. “I do not.”

  “Relax,” Raven laughed while gathering me in his arms. “She’s really good, man,” he said, trying to stroke my ego.

  “I’m glad I brought my guitar.” Josh did a drum roll on the top of the piano. “We can jam out later.”

  “I didn’t know you played the guitar.”

  “Yep. Been playing since I was in junior high.” Josh walked out of the front room and back into the living room. He hit a button with a remote and the outside coverings on the windows retreated, slowly revealing a gorgeous horizon with a motionless ocean.

  “Wow.” I dashed over to the windows to enjoy the spectacular site.

  “I know. It’s badass.” Shelby pressed her hands against the glass. “I want to live here so badly.”

  “We will, baby. Just give it some time.” Josh wrapped his arms around her. “But I’ll get you a better place than this.”

  Shelby’s eyes widened. “How about the Caribbean?”

  Josh laughed, tilting his head back. “Whatever you want, Shel.”

  Raven embraced me from behind. “It’s beautiful. Just like you.” He nuzzled my neck and I reached up behind me, pulling him closer. The past week had been magical. I glanced at my ring, still not believing I was going to be Mrs. Raven Davenport. One thing was certain, I was glad I said yes. Spending the rest of my life with Raven was all I wanted. Nothing more.

  “Do you want to go check out the beach first or head out to get some dinner?” Josh asked.

  I looked at Raven. “I’m really hungry, so I’m okay with grabbing some food.”

  “Thank God.” Shelby shot me a look of pity. “I didn’t want to be rude, since you hadn’t seen the ocean, but I wanted to stop on the way in. I’m dying of starvation.”

  “Shelby, if you were that hungry, you should’ve said something. The beach will always be here. It’s not going anywhere,” I assured her.

  “Believe me, next time, I will.” She winked.

  We unloaded the truck so we’d have room for the groceries and then headed to a local restaurant that Josh claimed had the best fish tacos. I was eager to try them, since I had discovered my newest food fetish — fish.

  Josh pulled into the small parking lot and we filed out of the vehicle. “This looks like an old Taco Bell.”

  “Yeah, it might have been, but trust me, the food is delicious.”

  “I was just reading some of the reviews.” Raven glanced at his phone. “Says that Captain Roy was ranked top three for shrimp four years in a row.”

  “I believe it.” Josh opened the door to the small restaurant. “He makes the best bacon-wrapped, jalapeño-stuffed shrimp. Ever.”

  And Josh was right. The food was incredible and the tacos were equally as tasty. “If we ate here every night, I’d be perfectly fine with that,” I said, licking the barbecue sauce from my fingers.

  “Hey, save some for me.” Raven grabbed my hand and tried to lick my fingers.

  “Babe, stop.” I struggled to reclaim my arm, laughing the entire time.

  Josh shook his head and Shelby smiled. “If you want, we can buy you guys some sauce at the grocery store for later.”

  Raven kissed the top of my hand and then let it go. “Not a bad idea.” He reached over and pinched me on the butt and I yelped. I quickly covered my mouth, but it was too late. The entire restaurant heard and all eyes were on me once again.

  “Will you stop?” I eyed him with a huge smile that I couldn’t seem to control.

  A devilish grin played on the edge of his lips. “I can’t help it.” He waved his hand around his head. “Must be something in the air, because I just can’t wait to see you in a bikini.”

  My smile vanished. “Oh, well, we’re going to have stop at one of those t-shirt shops because I don’t own one.”

  “What?” Shelby whipped her head in my direction. “What do you swim in?”

  “A one-piece.”

  She gave me a quirky expression. “Seriously?”

  I wiped my fingers on a napkin so that I wouldn’t further entice Raven until we got back to the house. “Yeah. I’ve never had a bikini.” For a second, the memories of the old Lexi Thompson filtered through my head, reminding me that I was living in a dream. A dream that would soon burst and be over with when Mom found out I was engaged.

  “Lexi grew up in a really strict house,” Raven informed Shelby.

  “And my parents tried to control my life up until a few months ago,” I openly admitted.

  Shelby’s eyes softened and she tilted her head to the side. “That must have been terrible, growing up like that. I had no idea.”

  I glanced away, trying not to allow the memories to ruin my Spring Break or anyone else’s. “Yeah, but it’s in the past.”

  “That means one thing.” Shelby straightened and smiled brightly, her blue eyes sparkling like the waters of the Gulf.

  “What’s that?” I asked, even though I knew what she had in mind.

  “We’re going shopping.” She held out her hand in Josh’s direction and moved her fingers for him to hand her something.

  “Aw, shit.” Josh shook his head as he pulled out his wallet and removed a credit card.

  “No, that’s okay.” I motioned for Josh to take it back. “I have my own money.”

  “Relax.” Shelby laughed. “The credit card belongs to his dad. He won’t notice a couple hundred bucks.”

  Raven looked at me and gave a slight shrug. Was she serious? A couple hundred dollars was my monthly allowance, not my one-trip shopping spree for the day. Immediately, I knew that Shelby loved to blow money. It was obvious in the clothes she wore, the hand bag she carried, and the tons of shoes she packed. One bag carried her shoe collection for the week. I didn’t even want to know what her closet looked like. No wonder she got along with Mrs. Marshall so well.

  “Are y’all done?” A waitress appeared with the bill.

  I nodded and Raven relaxed against his chair. “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Sweetie?” Shelby looked at Josh and he rolled his eyes before burying his face in his hands. “Put it on this.” Shelby handed her Mr. Marshall’s credit card.

  ***

  We hit a few stores and Shelby helped me pick two bikinis — one, turquoise with white polka dots, and the other one, solid black. She was just as
bad as Delaney, wanting me to buy more, but I refused to allow Josh’s parents to buy me clothes, especially when they didn’t know. Part of me felt sad that Delaney didn’t come with us, claiming she didn’t want to be the third wheel. Or fifth wheel, in this case. I was kind of peeved at Luke for not taking her with him to Breckenridge. I just hoped she didn’t do anything stupid.

  After we stocked up on food for the week, we headed back to the house. The strip was buzzing with excitement, people cruising up and down in convertibles, on bikes, or on their Segways. It was like the town never slept; it didn’t matter that it was a Monday night. We were a little tired from the drive and getting up at the crack of dawn, so we decided to head down to the beach for the night.

  Shelby and I spread out a few blankets while Josh and Raven made a fire. The night air was a little chilly. Though I didn’t care, I wondered whether the water would be warm enough for us to swim. I was willing to dive in just to see what the salt water felt like against my skin. And if Raven was willing to go in with me, I would definitely do it.

  “I didn’t think it would be this cool.” I pulled a sweatshirt over my tank top

  “I know.” Shelby put on a hoodie. “Normally it’s a little warmer than this.”

  “I’m sure it’s too cold for a night swim.” I stared at the water, wanting to see what it felt like.

  “Yeah, baby.” Raven placed another log on the fire pit. “We should probably wait until the middle of the day tomorrow.”

  “Hey, it’s perfect for the hot tub.” Shelby nudged Josh.

  Josh raised a brow. “You want to get in?”

  Shelby nodded and tossed her hair over her shoulder. After they ogled each other for a few seconds, she turned to us and asked, “Hey, you guys want to join?”

  Raven looked at me. “Go ahead. Maybe we’ll join you after a while. I want to relax here by the fire and water,” I answered, settling against Raven.

  “Okay.” Shelby pulled off her hoodie and threw it at Josh. “Last one in has to get the towels.” Giggling, she took off running toward the house.